Exploiting microbes in the petroleum field [Elektronisk resurs] Analyzing the credibility of microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR)

• Crude oil is a major energy source that is exploited globally to achieve economic growth. To meet the growing demands for oil, in an environment of stringent environmental regulations and economic and technical pressure, industries have been required to develop novel oil salvaging techniques. The remaining ~70% of the world’s conventional oil (one-third of the available total petroleum) is trapped in depleted and marginal reservoirs, and could thus be potentially recovered and used. The only means of extracting this oil is via microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR). This tertiary oil recovery method employs indigenous microorganisms and their metabolic products to enhance oil mobilization. Although a significant amount of research has been undertaken on MEOR, the absence of convincing evidence has contributed to the petroleum industry’s low interest, as evidenced by the issuance of 400+ patents on MEOR that have not been accepted by this sector. The majority of the world’s MEOR field trials are briefly described in this review. However, the presented research fails to provide valid verification that the microbial system has the potential to address the identified constraints. Rather than promising certainty, MEOR will persist as an unverified concept unless further research and investigations are carried out. 

Ämnesord

Natural Sciences  (hsv)

Earth and Related Environmental Sciences  (hsv)

Other Earth and Related Environmental Sciences  (hsv)

Naturvetenskap  (hsv)

Geovetenskap och miljövetenskap  (hsv)

Annan geovetenskap och miljövetenskap  (hsv)

Natural Sciences  (hsv)

Chemical Sciences  (hsv)

Materials Chemistry  (hsv)

Naturvetenskap  (hsv)

Kemi  (hsv)

Materialkemi  (hsv)

Engineering and Technology  (hsv)

Chemical Engineering  (hsv)

Chemical Process Engineering  (hsv)

Teknik och teknologier  (hsv)

Kemiteknik  (hsv)

Kemiska processer  (hsv)

Genre

government publication  (marcgt)

Indexterm och SAB-rubrik

Biosurfactants

Crude oil

Field trials

Microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR)

Microbial metabolic by-products

Microbial metabolic pathways

Numerical simulation and modelling

Petroleum biotechnology

Reservoir dynamics

Species properties